Positive behaviour support for self-injurious behaviour in an adolescent with multiple complex needs: a case study

Purpose Positive behaviour support (PBS) is a specialised behavioural intervention framework which adopts a functional approach to self-injurious behaviour and focuses on skill-building. While there is a wealth of scientific literature supporting PBS, much of this research is focused on younger children and those who are vocal. This paper aims to apply PBS to teach communication skills to an adolescent with complex needs. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the authors report on an autistic adolescent with a seizure disorder and partial visual impairment who emitted high rates of self-injurious behaviour. Specifically, the authors tested the impact of teaching contextually appropriate signs across a variety of situations. Findings The teaching procedures were effective in that there were observed increases in communicative requests across contexts and a decrease in self-injurious behaviour. Originality/value The authors discuss the application of PBS to directly target the quality-of-life of individuals with complex needs through greater access to the community due to the reduction of self-injurious behaviour, more participation in outings with caregivers and increased autonomy by requesting for one’s needs and wants.